Granulating process and apparatus



y 1959 H. SCHONBECK 2,888,334

GRANULATING PROCESS AND APPARATUS Filed Feb. 1, 1955 Znven-l'or:

Hainz SahHnbeoK by: MA; 5 f;9

. 2,888,334 GRANULATING PROCESS AND APPARATUS Heinz Schiinbeck, Dortmund-Huckarde, Germany, assignor to Deutsche Gasrusswerke G.m.b.H., Dortmund, Germany Application February 1, 1955, Serial No. 485,525 Claims priority, application Germany February 1, 1954 2 Claims. (Cl. 23-314) The present invention relates to a process and appara- United States Patent tus for granulating dust-like particles such as carbon particles.

It is known that dust-like particles of this type may be granulated by introducing these particles into the interior of a slowly rotating drum while advancing the particles along the drum so that the particles become granulated in this manner, a suitable outlet being provided for the granulated particles. With such a known process and apparatus, however, the dust-like particles form undesirable deposits against the inner surface of the turningdrum, these deposits being undesirable because they interfere with the production of properly shaped grains, because they reduce the size of the inlet and outlet openings and because they cling undenals to support the same.

sirably to the particles being granulated and result in the production of dirty grains which do not have the desired shape.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks by providing a process and apparatus of the above type with a means for preventing the formation of deposits at the inner surface of the abovementioned drum.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent deposits of the above type while at the same time maintaining 21 good rate of production and constantly advancing the particles toward the outlet. A further object of the present invention is to provide a deposit-preventing means which requires no special drive and which is operated automatically simply by the turning movement of the granulating drum.

the inner drum will prevent the formation of undesirable deposits on the inner surface of the outer drum.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantage thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional, side elevational view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention, Fig. 1 being taken along the line A--A of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 2 is an end view of the drum of Fig. 1 as seen from the left ofFig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that .the structure of the invention includes a cylindrical outer drum 1 having its opposite ends closed by a pair of end walls 2 and 3. These end walls respectively carry journals 4 and 5 which are coaxial with the drum 1 and which are respectively fixed to and extend outwardly in opposite directions from the end walls 2 and 3. As is evident particularly from Fig. 2, these end walls are provided with stiffening ribs which are fixed to the jour- The journals 4 and-5 are turnably supported in any suitable bearing (not shown) and the drum 1 is turned about its axis with any suitable drive means not forming part of the present invention, The journal 4 is formed with an axial bore and a feed screw 6 is fixed to the journal 4 within the interior there of so that dust-like particles supplied to the board journal An additional object of the present invention is to provide a deposit-preventing means which may be driven independently of and at a speed different from that of the turning drum.

With the above objects in view the present invention mainly consists of a process for granulating dust-like particles, this process including the step of introducing the particles to be granulated into an outer drum. This outer drum is turned, and an inner drum is turned within the outer drum along a path adjacent the inner surface of the outer drum and at a speed different from the turning speed of the outer drum, so that the inner drum prevents the dust-like particles from forming undesirable deposits on the inner surface of the outer drum.

Furthermore, with the above objects in view the present invention mainly consists of an apparatus for granulating dust-like particles, this apparatus including an outer drum carrying a first support means for supporting the outer drum for turning movement about its axis, so that dust-like particles within the outer drum will be granulated by turning thereof. An inner, wire drum having a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the outer drum is located coaxially within the latter, and a second support means supports the inner drum for turning movement about the axis of the outer drum independently of and with respect to the outer drum, so that 4 will be transported by the screw 6 to the interior of the drum 1. As is well known, the turning drum 1 with particles located therein will granulate these particles, and a second feed screw is provided within the drum 1 to advance the particles during granulation thereof toward the opening 7 formed in the cylinder 1 adjacent the end wall 3, so that the granulated particles will discharge from the interior of the drum 1 through the outlet 7.

At a relatively short distance from the journal 4, a ring 8 is located within and fixed to the drum 1, this ring 8 being provided with spokes extending radially inward from the ring 8 to the hub 9. This hub 9 is axially bored to serve as a bearing for a shaft 11 which is coaxial with the drum 1 and extends through the hub 9 and alongthe axis of the bore of the journal 4 to the exterior of this journal, the feed screw 6 extending freely about the shaft 11. At its end distant from the journal 4, the shaft 11 extends into a bearing 10 carried by the journal 5 in the manner indicated in Fig. 1. Thus, the shaft 11 is supported for free turning movement with respect to the drum 1. q

A wire mesh inner drum 12 having a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the drum 1 is located coaxially within the latter and is carried by the shaft 11. The cylindrical wire mesh drum 12 is fixed at its inner surface to rings 13, 14, and 15 respectively provided with spokes extending radially inward to the hubs 16, 17, and 18 which are in this way respectively fixed to the rings 13, 14 and 15. The hubs 16-18 are formed with apertures through which the shaft 11 extends, and these hubs may be fixed to the shaft 11 so that the drum 12 turns together with the shaft 11 about the axis of the drum 1.

With the construction of the invention the feed screw 19 for advancing the particles during granulation thereof along the drum is located within and fixed to the inner surface of the drum 12, in the manner indicated in Fig. 1.

As is evident from Fig. 1, the end wall 2 may be provided with an opening for inspection purposes, and this opening is removably covered with the detachable cover diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 2 adjacent the upper portion thereof.

The above described structure operates as follows:

The dust-like particles are supplied to the interior of the drum through the bore of the journal 4- by the feed screw 6 therein. The slowly turning drum 1 rolls the particles within the drum and in this way granulates the particles. The feed screw 19 advances the particles during granulation thereof to the outlet 7 through which the granulated particles fall out of the drum.

In the same way that the dust-like particles cling to each other to become granulated, these particles cling to the inner surface of the drum 1 and form an undesirable deposit thereon. However, with the structure of the invention this deposit is constantly disturbed by the inner drum 12 which turns with a speed different from that of the drum 1. The turning speed of the drum 12 may be greater or smaller than that of the drum 1.

It is possible to drive the drum 12 by connecting a drive to the free end portion of the shaft 11 which extends outwardly beyond the journal 4 in the manner indicated in Fig. 1.

However, as a practical matter it has been found in actual tests that a drive for the inner drum is not essential. This inner drum is set into turning movement by frictional contact with the particles being granulated, and by inertia the drum 12 tends to lag behind the drum 1 and slip with respect thereto, and this slip of the drum 12 with respect to the drum 1 automatically provides sufficient disturbance adjacent the inner surface of the drum 1 to prevent undesirable deposits from forming thereon.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of granulating processes and apparatus differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in carbon granulating processes and apparatus, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readliy adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended without the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for granulating dust-like particles, in combination, an outer drum having a continuous inner surface; first support means carried by said outer drum for supporting the same for turning movement about its axis, so that dust-like particles within said outer drum will be granulated by turning of said outer drum; an inner, wire drum having a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of said outer drum located coaxially within the latter and defining with said outer drum a completely empty uninterrupted cylindrical space between said inner and outer drum; second support means supporting said inner drum for turning movement about the axis of said outer drum independently of and with respect to said outer drum, whereby during turning of said outer drum dust-like particles located therein will granulate during their free rolling movement on the inner surface of said outer drum while said inner drum will prevent the formation of undesirable deposits on the inner surface of said outer drum; and a screw member carried by said inner drum at the inner surface thereof for feeding granulated particles along the axis of said outer drum.

2. A process for granulating dust-like particles comprising the steps of introducing a mass of particles to be granulated into a drum; turning said drum thereby causing the particles to be granulated by movement against and along the inner surface of said drum; and positively engaging and moving said mass during turning of said drum by moving means arranged in a region adjacent to but spaced from said inner surface of said drum, in a direction substantially parallel to the inner surfaces of said drum and at a speed different from the peripheral speed of said inner surface without subjecting said mass to pressure, whereby formation of undesirable deposits on the inner surface of said drum is prevented by said relative movement and the necessity of scraping the inner surface of said drum is eliminated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 64,416 Hart May 7, 1867 419,696 Merrell Jan. 21, 1890 433,096 Sadravezt July 29, 1890 433,188 Sprenkle July 29, 1890 2,309,970 McKinney Feb. 2, 1943 2,503,361 Studebaker Apr. 11, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 698 Sweden Apr. 22, 1887 6,536 Great Britain Mar. 18, 1902 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR GRANULATING DUST-LIKE PARTICLES, IN COMBINATION, AN OUTER DRUM HAVING A CONTINUOUS INNER SURFACE; FIRST SUPPORT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID OUTER DRUM FOR SUPPORTING THE SAME FOR TURNING MOVEMENT ABOUT ITS AXIS, SO THAT DUST-LIKE PARTICLES WITHIN SAID OUTER DRUM WILL BE GRANULATED BY TURNING OF SAID OUTER DRUM; AN INNER, WIRE DRUM HAVING A DIAMETER SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN THE INNER DIAMETER OF SAID OUTER DRUM LOCATED COAXIALLY WITHIN THE LATTER AND DEFINING WITH SAID OUTER DRUM A COMPLETELY EMPTY UNINTERRUPTED CYLINDRICAL SPACE BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER DRUM: SECOND SUPPORT MEANS SUPPORTING SAID INNER DRUM FOR TURNING MOVEMENT ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID OUTER DRUM INDEPENDENTLY OF AND WITH RESPECT TO SAID OUTER DRUM, WHEREBY DURING TURNING OF SAID OUTER DRUM DUST-LIKE PARTICLES LOCATED THEREIN WILL GRANULATE DURING THEIR FREE ROLLING MOVEMENT ON THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID OUTER DRUM WHILE SAID INNER DRUM WILL PREVENT THE FORMATION OF UNDESIRABLE DEPOSITS ON THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID OUTER DRUM; AND A SCREW MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID INNER DRUM AT THE INNER SURFACE THEREOF FOR FEEDING GRANULATED PARTICLES ALONG THE AXIS OF SAID OUTER DRUM.
 2. A PROCESS FOR GRANULATING DUST-LIKE PARTICLES COMPRISING THE STEPS OF INTRODUCING A MASS PARTICLES TO BE GRANULATED INTO A DRUM; TURNING SAID DRUM THEREBY CAUSING THE PARTICLES TO BE GRANULATED BY MOVEMENT AGAINST AND ALONG THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID DRUM; AND POSITIVELY ENGAGING AND MOVING SAID MASS DURING TURNING OF SAID DRUM BY MOVING MEANS ARRANGED IN A REGION ADJACENT TO BUT SPACED FROM SAID INNER SURFACE OF SAID DRUM, IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE INNER SURFACES OF SAID DRUM AND AT A SPEED DIFFERENT FROM THE PERIPHERAL SPEED OF SAID INNER SURFACE WITHOUT SUBJECTING SAID MASS TO PRESSURE, WHEREBY FORMATION OF UNDESIRABLE DEPOSITS ON THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID DRUM IS PREVENTED BY SAID RELATIVE MOVEMENT AND THE NECESSITY OF SCRAPING THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID DRUM IS ELIMINATED. 